Laura Spaulding, founder and CEO of Spaulding Decon, is a former law enforcement officer who has evolved her business from a solo operation to a nationwide franchise that specializes in biohazard disinfection and decontamination. Spaulding Decon topped the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 crime-scene cleaning category in 2022. In this episode of Real Stories in Restoration, Spaulding shares her journey from humble beginnings as a woman-led startup. Today, Spaulding Decon is scaling rapidly with 20 to 30 new franchises a year, has added real estate acquisitions to its business model, and has millions of followers on social media.

Classroom education and certifications provide a solid foundation for restorers, but hands-on training allows restorers to put their knowledge into practice. Mike Allred, Javier Del Angel, and Park Olsen share how real-world scenarios, training, and industry relationships help restorers build confidence, improve their safety, and prepare for complex jobs.

Brantley Kushner and Robb Harrell share the challenges, technology, vendor partnerships, and coordination that helped the team ATI complete a complex job after hurricane Milton that affected 279 units.

Nick Hindle of PuroClean shares how SPAR has evolved from a simple coffee conversation to a vendor partnership program that evolves around standards, security accountability, innovation, and more!

Carrying on the conversation from The Experience in Las Vegas, Kevin Coy, David Hart, David Hodge, and Tom McArdle discuss fire contamination, cleaning vs. decontamination, contents restoration, and why understanding fire science is crucial in fire restoration.

Here’s how restoration companies can reduce their workflow fragmentation by improving documentation, prevent costly inefficiencies, and strengthen their operations.

Wildfire and fire losses present complex challenges that go beyond what restorers see. Here’s how restorers should approach, assess, test, involve third parties, and balance their technical and emotional aspects of caring for the homeowner.